Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies. The new head of the world's largest humanitarian organization is a former Ethiopian political prisoner who made a new life for himself in Ottawa after arriving as a refugee in 1992. He spent five years in prison in Ethiopia, and later served as a cabinet minister and the Ethiopian ambassador to Japan.
Mr. Geleta came to Canada as a refugee in 1992, settling in Ottawa with his wife, Tsehay Mulugeta, and four young sons. He soon started building a new career in humanitarian work, serving with Care Canada, the Red Cross and other organizations.